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Monday, March 12, 2007

1st Council house in quarter of a century


I'm pictured here with Midlothian Councillor Derek Milligan the Housing Convenor, outside the first Council house built in Scotland in 25 years at 1 Bill Russell Grove, Woodburn, Dalkeith today.

The house is the first of 1,000 new Council houses to built in Midlothian. This terrific initiative is one which I have welcomed from the start and the Council were grateful to acknowledge my support.

I was taken round the house by the new tenants and it is a lovely big four bedroomed property which the council built at a cost of £80,000 but which local estate agents have said would sell at £180,000.

I have warmly welcomed Midlothian Councils £105m investment. I don’t see why Edinburgh City Council for example which is far richer cannot do something similar for tenants in the city.

4 comments:

red mist said...

This is a good news story for the Left.

We are all very proud of Midlothian and their forward looking approach to the problem of homelessness.

Well done.

George Dutton said...

This is truly great news but...

Ruth Kelly is considering a plan to scrap secure tenancies for council housing.This will enable councils/NEW Labour to then sell council and housing association houses at market prices.NEW Labour are going to say that this will bring in extra money that is needed to build many new homes they really mean new ghettos where they think the poor sould be.This has happened in the USA.As you said Colin cost £80,000 sell for £180,000 that is all NEW Labour care about.

George Dutton said...

Here is a link for you Colin.I should have said in my last post that what Ruth Kelly is GOING to do is have a means test to set peoples rent`s.This will force many to have to give up there Council houses so New Labour can then sell them.Hostel Accommodation has been mentioned?.
First saw all this on the Respect web site and they said what I have told you.The story has now filtered out of sight?.If this does not lose New Labour seats NOTHING will.
Found this copy and paste in two parts and paste into address bar.


http://www.defendcouncilhousing.
org.uk/dch/

George Dutton said...

Taken from the Respect web site...

Labour 'MP hopeful' quits race to join Galloway's Respect Party

"Labour has been hijacked by a bunch of ultra-conservatives. It's bad for democracy."
EASTLONDONADVERTISER - Thu, 05 Apr 2007

A WOMAN in the race to be Labour's next candidate to take on rebel MP George Galloway's Respect Party in London's East End has quit the selection process and changed sides.

Johanna Kaschke has defected to Respect after reading the East London Advertiser's March 28 edition about the Labour Government trying to change the law to defeat a campaigner in the High Court over public housing.

She went straight to her computer and fired off a resignation letter to Labour, then joined Galloway's party.

"I find there is a bad atmosphere in the (Labour) party, driving out council tenants and disrespecting leaseholders alike.

"It is totally disgusting that the Labour Party acts against its own members, dismantles the National Health Service, a tendency to stop free health treatment.

"Our local authority has become an oppressive force, forcing residents out of their dwellings by making it too expensive for leaseholders to afford the upkeep or forcing tenants to be with private housing associations.

"The Labour Party has become an oppressive organisation, nothing more to do with the democratic people's party it once used to be."

It is a blow to the bitterly-divided local Labour party, whose morale sank in Galloway's Bethnal Green constituency after he ousted their MP Oona King in the 2005 General Election.

Joanna told the Advertiser: "Labour has been hijacked by a bunch of ultra-conservatives. It's bad for democracy."


From www.SpideredNews.com